NHS bursary: historic updates

The NHS Business Services Authority's FAQs on the NHS Bursary have been updated and are available to download.

Bursary update: June 2013

The NHS Business Services Authority's FAQs on the NHS Bursary have been updated and are available to download.

Bursary update: July 2012

The Department of Health has announced that the interim Bursary arrangements announced in 2011 to cover the increased fees will be extended for a further two years. More information is available on the Department of Health website. A BDA news item on the announcement is available here. The arrangements will be in place until 2015.

Bursary update: June 2012

The Department of Health has released the first edition of the NHS Bursary Scheme New Rules, and the Thirteenth Edition of the NHS Bursary Scheme Old Rules which replaces the Twelfth Edition. Both documents can be downloaded from the Department of Health's website.

Bursary update: August 2011

The Department of Health has released The NHS Bursary Scheme Twelfth Edition. This document updates the 2010 guidance and explains eligibility and timelines for applications.

Bursary update: July 2011

On 18 July the Review of NHS Student Support released its proposals for new bursary funding in England. From September 2012 all eligible students will receive a non-means tested grant of £1000, a means tested bursary and a non-means-tested reduced rate loan.

Under the new scheme students studying for 45 weeks or more each year will receive:

If you will be studying and living:

Non-means tested grant

Means tested bursary (maximum)

Non-means tested maintenance loan

in London and living in student/rented accommodation/your own home

During TERM TIME

£1,000

£5,460

£3,263

elsewhere in England (UK for medical and dental students) and living in student/rented accommodation/your own home

During TERM TIME

£1,000

£4,395

£2,324

anywhere in England (UK for medical and dental students) and living with your parents

During TERM TIME

£1,000

£3,351

£1,744

The maintenance loan is reduced in the final year of study to £2,498 in London, £1,811 outside London and £1,324 for students who live with their parents whilst studying.

In addition to the basic bursary, students can apply for a number of additional allowances if they meet specific criteria. These allowances provide support to disabled students and additional support for students with dependent adults and children. These allowances will remain unchanged from the current arrangements.

Students can also claim help with travel costs to their placements, if they incur additional costs to those incurred when travelling to their university.

The Department of Health has released three documents outlining the background to the bursary discussions. The initial consultation to reform the bursary was hosted in 2009, a report of the process and an assessment of the impact on the future NHS workforce of the options proposed in 2009.

The options discussed in these two papers (available below), were superseded by the two options found on this page under the heading "NHS bursaries". An impact assessment of these options was conducted by the Department of Health and is available below.

Tuition Funding 2012

Rt. Hon. Andrew Lansley has announced that the increase in tuition fees will be met by the NHS bursary in the fifth year for students starting dental undergraduate courses in 2012. Maintenance loans will continue to be available for the first four years, as will the tuition fee loan.

Those entering graduate dental courses will still have to fund the initial £3,375 themselves. The NHS bursary will, however, continue to contribute £3,375 towards tuition. A loan from the Student Loan company will be available in all years of the graduate programme to cover the difference between the £3,375 fee and the maximum charge of £9000.

A copy of the letter from the Secretary of State for Health is available below.